Lot 129
  • 129

GUSTAVE LOISEAU | Gelée blanche

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
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Description

  • Gelée blanche
  • Signed G. Loiseau (lower right)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 23 3/4 by 32 in.
  • 60.3 by 81.2 cm
  • Painted in 1899.

Provenance

Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired directly from the artist on April 10, 1899)
Private Collection, France (acquired from the above on May 29, 1945)
Acquired circa 1985

Condition

The work is in excellent condition. The canvas is unlined. The colors are bright and fresh and the surface is richly textured. Under UV light, no inpainting is apparent.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

In this work, Loiseau captures the crisp atmosphere of a winter's day in the French countryside. An expansive sky extends across the canvas over a riverbank that, despite the season, is far from barren. Its rich surface, composed of spontaneous brushwork and areas of thickly applied paint, exemplifies the artist's instinctive use of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist techniques which he derived from his close relationship with Claude Monet (see fig. 1). In Gelée blanche, Loiseau eliminates almost every sign of human presence, choosing instead to focus on the extraordinarily dramatic possibilities of nature itself. 

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by Didier Imbert.